


Flightless

by LieselSolo



Series: A Healing Force [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ben Solo Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Ben Solo Lives, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Parent Han Solo, Han Solo Lives, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25450402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LieselSolo/pseuds/LieselSolo
Summary: In a universe where Ben Solo never turned to the dark side, Han accompanies Ben on his Jedi training, but sometimes Han has doubts about his decision to do so.
Relationships: Ben Solo & Han Solo
Series: A Healing Force [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843372
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Flightless

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of an AU that I share with my friend RensKnight. In this universe, Ben tells his parents about the voice in his head and Luke succeeds in driving Snoke out. Later, when Ben's older, Han goes with him when he leaves for his Jedi training.

It had been years since Han had last seen the Falcon.

Once the love of his life, his pride and joy, his _home,_ but now it had been years since he’d last seen it, yet alone flown it. He wasn’t worried about his old girl – Chewie would look after her . . . he hoped. Still, as he gazed up into the stars, he wondered how his old girl was doing and how Chewie was doing. 

He kicked a pebble into the lake, seeing his wavy reflection in the moonlight. When did his hair get so gray? It wasn’t this gray when Ben started his training, was it? Maybe it was. He was getting _old,_ there was no way around it. Ben was growing up and he was getting old.

And here he was getting old and not flying. Would he even remember how to fly his beloved ship when this was over?

And Leia – she was only able to visit every several months or so, and even then she could only stay for a few days at a time. So many times he found himself craving her touch, her kisses, even her _smell._ Even though they talked frequently on the comm, it just wasn’t the same. What would their lives be like when Ben graduated and he and Leia went back to living together like a normal married couple? Would they have to adjust to each other’s daily life habits all over again?

The nighttime insects had begun chirping, filling the air with those loud, disturbing sounds. What was he doing here anyway? It wasn’t like he had the Force. At first he thought he could help his son get through his training by providing moral support, but there was so much in Ben’s training that he didn’t understand – _couldn’t_ understand. How could he understand how moving stuff around with your mind could strain you out or how accidentally reading people’s minds could land you in an embarrassing situation. Luke claimed that the Force flowed through everyone, Force-sensitive or not, but what did that even _mean?_

Sometimes he felt like a blind person surrounded by sighted people.

His stomach growled. Right, he’d only had a sandwich for lunch because he’d spent the afternoon watching Ben and the other students in lightsaber training, Ben’s face glistening with sweat as they ran through the same drills over and over. It was exhausting just watching him – in fact, he had found himself thinking _was I ever that young, did I ever have that much energy?_

Well, the students were probably having dinner in the cafeteria about now, so he might as well join them.

. . .

The Temple’s bantha burgers were okay. Okay, but not like the juicy, flavorful burgers they could get at home from any number of different restaurants. Han always found himself adding extra condiments to his bantha burgers here just so they’d have something that resembled flavor.

There was Ben, seated at a table across the room from Han with a couple of his friends, smiling and chattering with them about something, all of them in identical white Jedi robes. Han smiled a little at the sight – Ben often had difficulty making friends growing up, but the few he had supported him even when he was having difficulty controlling his abilities. Han nodded to himself – yes, even if he had a hard time with it, when Ben chose friends, he chose them _well._

And _these_ friends were actually in the same starship as Ben was. They too had powers like his, they too were still learning how to use them and be responsible with them.

Unlike Han.

He took another bite of his burger and the overload of sauce dripped onto his shirt, leaving an orange splotch even after he ran over it with a napkin. Great. Just great. Again he looked over at Ben and his friends in their white robes. Could they use the Force to stop stains? It wouldn’t surprise him if they could.

Did Ben even know he was here? Probably, seeing as how he could sense people with the Force and all. He was tempted to wave or shout, but that would probably be considered uncool for a dad to barge in on teenagers’ chattering. 

When Ben graduated, would he still want his dad to take him for rides in the Falcon, or would that be considered uncool too? Would he still want to go on dad and son trips, or would he consider himself too old for them?

Suddenly Han felt awkward just being here. Maybe he should take his food and leave. He stared down at the half-eaten burger with the sauce oozing out the edges, wishing for a stiff drink, though of course there was no alcohol to be found anywhere here. The very idea of Jedi trainees getting drunk and letting their powers go wild was pretty damn terrifying. 

“Dad?”

He looked up and there was Ben, carrying his tray of food, smiling down at his father. “Mind if I sit?”

“Course you can sit, son,” said Han, “but what about your friends?”

“They don’t mind,” said Ben, placing his tray on the table and sitting next to his father. “I sensed that you were troubled. What’s wrong?”

“Can’t you just read my mind and find out?”

“Only if you want me to.”

Han considered it – it would be easier than explaining what was going on – but he knew Ben had been struggling to control his telepathy. “I was just thinkin’ bout . . . _things,”_ he said. “Your mom, Chewie, the Falcon.”

“I miss them too,” said Ben, putting his hand on his father’s shoulder.

“And that got me wonderin’ just how much good I’m doin’ here. I ain’t got the Force and there’s a lot of stuff you’re goin’ through that I can’t understand . . .”

“Dad,” Ben interrupted, looking his father in the eyes. “Stop. You want to know what we were talking about over there?”

“What?”

“We were talking about _you.”_

Han blinked at his son, wondering for a moment if Ben was playing a prank on him. “What?”

“We were talking about you,” Ben repeated. “They told me how lucky I am to have my dad here and how it was so cool that _the_ Han Solo was staying here.”

 _“The_ Han Solo, huh? Well I ain’t exactly the young, fit war hero I used to be. I probably disappointed a lot of your classmates who were expecting a mighty hero and met a weary old man.”

“But you’re still my dad.” Ben smiled at his father. “Still my dad who trusted me enough to believe me when I told you about the voice in my head.”

Han couldn’t help it – he flinched at the mention of the voice in Ben’s head who had almost taken over his mind. “Well _Luke_ was the one who drove the voice out.”

“But you still trusted me,” said Ben. He cocked his head. “Anyway, I told the guys about how we used to visit Naboo when I was a kid and how you and Mom taught me to swim in the lake there and how you used to say that you wished you could have learned to swim on Naboo instead of in Imperial boot camp.”

“What, you told them I didn’t know how to swim before I went to the Imperial Academy?” Han exclaimed with mock horror. 

“Hey, considering your upbringing, I think you’ve got an excuse there.”

They shared a brief laugh before Ben touched his father’s shoulder. “Seriously, Dad, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Even if I can’t levitate stuff or read minds or any of that other stuff?”

“That doesn’t matter. I think you understand me better than anyone else here.”

Han cocked his head, giving a small grin. “Am I a cool dad?”

“The coolest dad in the galaxy.” Ben wrapped his arms around his father, seeming like he didn’t care if his friends saw it. 

Han hugged his son back, remembering now why he’d decided to come here. “And you’re the coolest son.”

THE END


End file.
